The mother of invention

Daniel Saffioti, CIO of the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation, had been told for years his property in Haywards Bay, NSW (south of Wollongong), was not eligible for NBN access, despite the fact that a fibre (FTTP) pillar was installed directly opposite his home. When his neighbours started getting NBN access via FTTN, he took matters into his own hands.

Saffioti deployed his considerable knowledge to build a radio network for connection to the NBN and wrote about it in a LinkedIn article.

He said he took advantage of the 5 GHz radio spectrum and employed some clever network routing to make it happen. The radios used achieve over 150 MB of throughput and can run in bridge mode with a peer for distances up to 30 km.

He identified a friend about 15 km away who had access to the internet via an NBN Optical service and was keen enough to help out. He effectively became a network point of presence (POP). The next hurdle was that there was no line of sight between the two, which is essential for radio networks. A third party with poor internet access (who conveniently lived on a hill between the two) was found and the network was complete.

Saffioti said that the endeavour was borne out of necessity, but not without its challenges, including ensuring that the network meets with rules set out by the Australian Media and Communications Authority (ACMA).

You can read the full article, including details on how the network is put together, here.